VIEWPOINTS – Failed relationships that just won’t loosen their grip: Lisa Vaynberg’s THE GETT and Harrison David Rivers’ THE BANDAGED PLACE

This past week, I attended a pair of flawed but nonetheless fascinating Off-Broadway plays that featured failed relationships that just won’t loosen their grip, keeping the plays’ protagonists from moving … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The new jukebox musical A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL is standard, crowd-pleasing fare (at best)

Last night, yet another jukebox musical arrived on Broadway when A Beautiful Nose: The Neil Diamond Musical opened at the Broadhurst Theatre. The musical follows in a long line of … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Jordan E. Cooper’s speculative AIN’T NO MO’ uses unforgiving satire to crack open the Black experience

This past week, Jordan E. Cooper’s Ain’t No Mo’ opened on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre. The work was previously seen Off-Broadway in 2019 at the Public Theater. The biting … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Third venue, same vibrant production: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF IN YIDDISH returns, newly relevant

This fall, The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s vibrant production of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish has returned once again for a limited time for its third discrete New York … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Emanuel Gat’s LOVETRAIN2020 brings world dance, kitsch, and eclecticism to the Tears for Fears songbook

Last night at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, the Brooklyn Academy of Music presented Emanuel Gat’s LOVETRAIN2020, the Israeli choreographer’s latest evening length work set to the iconic songs … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Despite its noble intentions, Yilong Liu’s GOOD ENEMY struggles to come alive in theatrical form

Last weekend, I had the chance to take in the Off-Broadway production of Good Enemy by Yilong Liu. The now-shuttered play was a presentation of Audible Theater, which has taken … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Mint Theater Company thoughtfully revives THE RAT TRAP, Noël Coward’s rarely performed early career play

Earlier this week at New York City Center, I attended a rare revival of Noël Coward’s The Rat Trap. The production is being presented by the Mint Theater Company, who … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – In the smart and sensationally energizing & JULIET, Broadway has found a worthy successor to MAMMA MIA!

Earlier this fall, the new musical & Juliet opened on Broadway at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. Having proved a solid hit across the pond in London’s West End, the jukebox … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Kevin Puts’s starry, much hyped opera adaptation of THE HOURS fails to mine the riches of Michael Cunningham’s novel

Last night at the Metropolitan Opera, I attended a performance of the starry, highly anticipated opera adaptation of The Hours by Kevin Puts (music) and Greg Pierce (libretto). Based on … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – In the intermittently thrilling ONLY GOLD, Parisian love is animated through dance and song

On its closing weekend, I had the opportunity to catch up with Only Gold, Kate Nash, Andy Blankenbuehler, and Tedd Malawer’s highly anticipated dance-heavy musical at MCC Theater in Hell’s … Continue Reading →